What to add to / improve in my arsenal for 3 season hiking?
on 03/13/2013 22:31:09 MDT

I'm relatively new to backpacking and brand new to lightweight backpacking. I did a decent amount of backpacking with my dad until 7th or 8th grade when I decided to focus more on team sports. Since college, I've stuck to day hikes because I was somewhat intimidated by the cost of getting new gear and the learning curve. However, I finally decided to take the plunge and have been planning a 2 month AT section hike with my wife that I'll start in a couple of weeks. Reading through threads on these forums has been a huge help and I signed up for an annual membership.

My gear for that trip is pretty much set. However, I plan on making this a regular hobby going forward and would appreciate thoughts on what I could add to my gear collection so I have things to put on my birthday/Christmas/etc wishlists. Looking for ideas not just to replace what's in my current kit, but good ideas to make my kit more versatile for different types of trips. I'm moving to Australia soon, so will have opportunities for trips in many types of environments.

Re: What to add to / improve in my arsenal for 3 season hiking?
on 03/14/2013 01:45:14 MDT

I am new to this as well and you look in better shape than me, but my first thoughts are:

Tent: There are lighter tent options out there, but a lot of this is preference. Zpacks Hexamid Twin would save you 22 ounces.

Rain Jacket: Heavy. I can't hike in any rain jacket, so mine is mainly for standing still or if it gets really cold. I have jacket from LukesUltraLite that is silnylon and weighs ~4.5oz. Lots of other options out there. Helium, DriDucks, etc.

Wind Jacket: Adds weight, but is great for adding a bit of warmth over a tee while hiking, light rain protection, keeping bugs off, etc. Houdini is one, but again lots of options out there.

I don't have this pot but I have seen it reported as under 7oz for 2quarts and $10:http://www.opencountrycampware.com/products/CAMPING-EQUIPMENT/Pots-and-Kettles/2-Quart-Non-Stick-Kettle/session_975eae0fcf14/

I modified a set of Aluminum flicklock trekking poles from walmart to a total weight of ~14oz and cost ~$40 see:http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=50320

His wife insists on a 1.5 liter or I would have suggested the Evernew 1.3 after the grease pot choice.I love my grease pot,but we use it for boiling water and not cooking and have never had a problem with it,it's light and super cheap.